Ear to Asia

Behind the headlines in a region that's rapidly changing the world

Ear to Asia is produced by Asia Institute, the Asian research specialists, at the University of Melbourne, Australia.
In Ear to Asia, we talk with Asia researchers to unpack the issues behind news headlines in a region that is rapidly changing the world.
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Social anthropologist Prof. Kaori Okano talks to presenter Ali Moore about the life transitions of a group of Japanese women whom she has interviewed regularly over the past 30 years. Sociolinguist Dr. Ikuko Nakane joins the discussion to examine how their spoken language has reflected their life changes.

China's citizens are now demanding more from the nation’s healthcare system, with its tangle of institutions, insurance plans and bureaucratic rules. So how do ordinary Chinese seek medical help? And how does rising marketization fit with the socialist aims of the Chinese Communist Party? Asia historian Dr Lewis Mayo and medical sociologist Dr Jane Brophy peel back the layers of healthcare in China. Presented by Ali Moore.

While Chinese notions of an ideal society can be traced back more than two millennia to Confucius, it’s the Chinese Communist Party that claims it’s taking China on the path to a utopia. China historians Dr Craig Smith and Dr Matt Galway discuss the rhetoric and reality behind the CCP’s quest for the perfect society. Presented by Ali Moore.

Japan's population is shrinking at the alarming 1000 people per day, with ominous implications for the nation’s economy and society. Can solutions be found in more family-friendly corporate culture, attracting migrants or even robotics? Migration and diversity expert Assoc Prof Nana Oishi unpacks Japan’s depopulation phenomenon on Ear to Asia. Presented by Peter Clarke.

Caught between China’s geopolitical ambitions and the United States’ questionable commitment to the region, can Indonesia stick to its long held position of not forming alliances with major powers? Political scientists and Indonesia watchers Dr Dave McRae and Dr Evi Fitriani unpack Indonesia’s foreign policy, and explore the options and challenges ahead. Presented by Ali Moore.